The French Dancing-Master, AND THE ENGLISH SOLDIER: Or, The Difference betwixt Fidling and Fighting, Displayed in a DIALOGUE betwixt an ENGLISH-MAN, and a FRENCH-MAN.
English-man.
MOnsieur, good morn, whither away so fast?
Some great importance sure doth cause this haste;
Your running looks do in effect thus say,
Monsieur is gone, 'cause Landlord asketh pay.
French-man.
Begar me no sush man, me scorn de shift,
Me plus Affaires dat me from home de lift.
English man.
You scorn to shift, 'tis true I think you say,
Witness your Shirt not washt this many a day.
French-man.
Par me foy de Rascall to degrase,
Ne autre man in de varle live in sush case;
Begar though me no speak si bon English,
Me thrush Tord in de belly if de speak dis;
Begar me be de born Gentil-man de France,
Me can learn English a le mode de Dance:
Me play ode leetle Fidle, me can sing,
Par ma foy no Poet Orphus sush Musick bring:
Begar you no sush man in all de England have,
For de Fidle, and de Dancing brave.
English-man.
But when you come to meet your Foe in face,
The Fidler and the Fidle's out of case.
French-man.
Begar de art Jack-napes to a teetle,
Me be brave Fellow, me can feight a leetle;
Me wear Feader in de Hat, me have Tord by side,
Me be de Gentil-man when me on de Horse ride;
English-man be a Clown, make Leg like a de Beare,
Franch-man be de Gentil-man, de fidle and de dance rare.
English-man.
'Tis true, in dancing you do us excel,
But can you, as the English, fight as well?
When Mars unsheaths his Sword, and Canons roar,
And men lye welt'ring in their purple gore,
When Towns are burnt, and Cities are destroy'd,
To what use will your Dancing be employ'd?
French-man.
Begar be de creat Fool to speak sush ting,
Brava, brava, de Dance, de Fidele, Sing;
No sush ting in de varle, to peepe, to dance,
To be dreass like de Madam, a le mode France.
English-man.
Brave Monsieur! gallant Monsieur! wondrous rare!
Fidling and fooling none with thee compare!
French-man.
Begar be de Rogue, de Villain, de Carle,
To speak 'gainst de Dance, de brave ting in de varle;
Begar me do love it out of all de cry,
Par ma foy de speak 'gainst it, tell loud lye:
France-man is de Gentil-man in de high Sphere,
Vat is de Clown vas dis skip de Angletiere?
De French Monsieur skip and leap like de Spright,
De caper, and kick, is not dat a rare Shite?
English-man.
A rare Shite 'tis indeed, I needs must say,
To see men skip like Puppets in a Play;
To act the Mimick, fidle, prate, and dance,
And cringe like Apes, is a le mode France:
But to be resolute, one to fight with ten,
And beat them, 's proper unto English-men.
French-man.
Begar France-man is couragio, feight like te Tiffell,
De kill, de slay, cutt men off de midle;
De brave Monsieurs, de Oliver, de Rowland,
Begar de feight as long as de could stand;
Amadis de Gaule, de Roy Charlemain,
De make blood run down like drops of de rain,
Begar with new fashion so exc'lent! so rare!
No men in de varle wid de French make compare.
English-man.
But Monsieur, have you never heard report
Of Poicters, Crescy, and of Agen-Court?
When France was drown'd with streams of French-mens blood,
And English Valor could not be withstood?
Sixth HENRY in Paris Crown'd in State,
And France (submissive) did on England wait,
When onely TALBOT'S Name did bear such sway,
To make Ten thousand French-men run away?
Is not France, and the Nation still the same,
Whom England did in all Encounters tame?
Have we not Hero's still who are endu'd
With Valor, (Stars of the first Magnitude?)
YORKS Duke, Brave ALBEMARLE, equal to those
Our Ancestors, who French-men did oppose?
With other Worthies of deserved Fame,
Make French-men tremble for to hear their Name.
French-man.
Begar dis true, de English-man speaks right,
France leave to Dance, and now de learn to Fight.
Adieu Monsieur.
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1666.